An interface apparatus to operate a control object apparatus such as a television or a computer includes an indication device such as a remote commander, a keyboard, or a mouse. However, this indication device is not easy for a user to operate because the user indirectly operates the object apparatus by the indication device. Furthermore, if the user loses the indication device, the user cannot operate the object apparatus.
Accordingly, as an interface apparatus to solve above problem, a hand gesture-user interface apparatus is proposed (JP-A (Kokai) No. 2004-78977). In this apparatus, by moving the user's hand or changing the user's hand posture, the object apparatus can be operated without the indication device.
For example, an image including the user's hand is captured by a CCD camera installed onto a display, and the user's hand posture or motion is recognized from the image. Based on the user's hand posture or motion, shape and position of indication icon displayed on a screen are changed. By such display control, the interface apparatus to be indicated by the user's hand gesture is disclosed.
In this interface apparatus, the user performs a predetermined hand gesture. For example, the user performs a predetermined hand posture, the user makes a predetermined hand gesture, or the user moves his/her hand along a predetermined locus. Briefly, by the predetermined hand gesture, the user can indicate a predetermined command or position corresponding to the gesture.
However, in above interface apparatus, the user must previously remember the hand gesture usable as the indication. This is a burden for the user to indicate by the hand gesture.